Anarchy is not the absence of order, it is the absence of force; it is the free outflowing of the spirit into the forms in which it delights and in such forms alone, as they grow and change, can it find an expression On Not which is not also a bondage.' E. LOWES DICKINSON. Writingtothe Newspapers AN ANARCHIST WEEKLY 4d. JUNE 13 1964 Vol 25 No 18 r\ETECTlVE SERGEANT HAR- OLD CHALLENOR principal figure in the notorious “brick­ planting” cases during the Greek Royal visit to this country last July was at the Old Bailey last week Challenor% Paranoia found by a jury to be insane and unfit to plead. He and three other EXCEPTION OR AN OCCUP policemen had been committed for **. .*• trial on a charge of “conspiring to­ the dock, Mr. Hutchinson asked: “Is medical evidence ghen at the Old Nobody—neither his colleagues, nor new safeguards,' their principal effect gether between July 10 and October his present state of rationality only due Bailey and which are? so serious and his superiors, nor the magistrates is to give the police greatly extended 23 to pervert the course of public to this massive application of drugs?’’ obvious that no organ ;of the Press and the lawyers who must have seen powers of questioning suspects. Dr. Calder said that it was. Answering Under the old Rules a person in cus­ justice by making unlawful arrests, the judge, he said there was no question purporting to be serious can over­ a lot of him as a witness in court tody could in principle not be questioned false statements, and fabrication of of any faking of illness in this case. look. Yet this is v hat they have --realised that he was in fact in­ at all. Every lawyer and Judge knew, evidence.” The trial of the three There is no reason to doubt the done. ■ sane, even though it was immediate­ however, that fair and reasonable constables is due to start later this medical evidence. After all it was ly apparent to Donald Rpoum at methods of police investigation would month. The medical evidence |yas that their first meeting. Is this not a have been seriously hampered if the quite clear to one of Challenor’s s Challenor’s mental condition had The medical evidence on which very disturbing matter which the police had been punctilious in observing would be victims last July that he deteriorated rapidly ^ince last Sep­ strictly the requirements of this Rule. the jury decided was given by the was, to put it politely, a mental case. detention of Challenor and the tember but it was aljf| pointed out Home Secretary’s proposed review It has been honoured more in the breach principal medical officer at Brixton And Donald Rooum was no medical that he had been mentally abnormal than in the observance and for many Prison who said he was satisfied of 20 cases he had “investigated” expert, and came to his conclusions fas a very considerable time”. For years Judges have winked at the fact that Challenor, who had been in (that is possibly framed) underlines after one unforgettable meeting with so long in fact that die Home Sec­ by refusing to hold evidence inadmis­ Netheme Mental Hospital, Couls- but does not solve? Challenor. On the strength of retary is now reviewing the cases of sible though obtained in contravention don, since October, Rooum’s first account of his case ★ of the rule. 34 men who were jailed following In this comment, and the con­ was now suffering from paranoid published in F reedom (August 17)* recent discussion on police investigations by Challenor as long* ALL clusion “If the principles contained schizophrenia, and that he had been and from private conversations with ago as 1962. powers has been directed to­ mentally abnormal for a very consider­ him, we had no hesitation at the wards modifying the rules of pro­ in this code are right they should able time. His mental condition deter­ time in referring to Challenor in It is possible that Challenor’s con­ cedure in order to make it more be made enforceable. Otherwise iorated rapidly from September of last these columns as “an obviously dition would have deteriorated any- one must recognise that, like the year. He was suffering from delusions, difficult for the suspected law­ paranoic ‘copper’.” We mention all way yet it is also Jonceivable that breaker to refuse to “assist” the old Rules, they must turn out to and also from loss of memory, which this in order to reinforce the but for the determination of Donald be more of theoretical than practical was part of his illness. police in their enquiries by exercis­ questions which, arise from the Rooum to resist the brick-bat importance”—the Guardian admits, It was necessary to keep him under ing his legal right to refuse to frame-up, Challenormight still be answeri questions put to him by but lacks the courage to say so that very heavy dosage of drugs. Glancing *And in much more detail in the Feb­ in his job, and- magistrates and there can be no justice for all in a at Challenor, who was sitting quietly in ruary issue of A narchy . them. On the new Judges’ Rules learned judges still Aye accepting his the Guardian made the following society founded on social and econ­ evidence in preferep#; to that of his cynical comments: omic injustice. From this fundamental injustice victims.' For therl* .can be no The new Judges’ Rules are rather ,gvg.e&tion-that ^tbe^ W u m case was presented by the accom­ spring all the problems for which Close to nevufir n i s~und oi h g* ! * Li everyffiihg pany i UgHSSe^DTO » f'r>r% K* nri pnnifoh'P. solution. was going swimmingly for Challenor. The laws are not made fiy the V^OUR correspondent on a recent visit scoured by planes and land patrols. were mainly designed to strengthen the His “wonderful war record” was safeguards protecting suspects from un­ people, for the people/ but by a A to Mozambique was advised by the Machine guns, heavy artillery, flame­ throwers, armoured cars are part of the followed by _ a successful police fair police questioning. In reality, privileged section of the community Portuguese Vic6-Consul on being “given” career as the “Soho gang-buster”. though they do contain some helpfui a visa (costing £1) that the special branch show of force. The effectiveness of Continued on page 3. in Mozanmique were to be informed of napalm bombing is impressed on vil­ my visit and that I should be watched lagers by demonstrations on deserted -------------INDUSTRIAL NOTES throughout my stay. villages. At Beirae and Lorenco Marques On two other visits to the country transport planes able to carry 45 fully- I have noticed many police, always equipped paratroopers stand ready. armed, roaming the streets of the two Inside Mozambique these forces face main cities in the country, Lorenco little—the African resistance has been shattered, many Africans simply vanish­ ‘INDUSTRIAL ANARCHY’ AT ROOTES Marques and Beira and have always felt the likelihood of police surveillance. ing. Outside Mozambique, however, The recent sackirig of 270 final the union leadership. At Whitsun both In fact there has been general dissatis­ PIDE (Policia Intemacionale de Defense danger to Portuguese rule is ready and assembly workers at the Rootes Mr. Les Kealey, the Transport and faction, not only about their production .de Estado)—the Mozambique police— eager to attack. In Tanganyika a united Linwood plant (they now have been General Workers Union national officer bonus over which they took action, but are, according to a report in the June liberation front of Mozambique exiles reinstated) was an attempt by the for engineering, and Mr. John Boyd, over the very nature of their work. issue of Drum “creeping and foraging has been training guerillas and they are management to force a showdown with a member of the Amalgamated Engin­ These assembly workers have been about” throughout Mozambique, where now ready. The Portuguese fear that their employees; The reason given for eering Union executive, went to Lin­ specially trained by Rootes, many having 163,000 Portuguese are outnumbered 40 troops from Ethiopia, Nigeria and the sackings was that these men had wood to address mass meetings. They never worked in a car factory before. to I by 6 million Africans. Algeria may cross the border. Already been practising what has been described appealed to the workers to end their Their previous jobs, as one said, were The Portuguese have been in Mozam­ some bands have ventured across the as “industrial anarchy”. What they unofficial actions which had often “every sort of job—^-the butcher, the bique for four centuries and mass border and one Portuguese officer has actually mean is that .because of a brought production to a standstill and baker, the candlestick maker”. They African illiteracy and forced labour are been mysteriousliy reported “accidentally grievance over pay, these men had been said their work was very hard, especially the result of this “great and successful shot”. called for co-operation with Rootes for packing up before the end of their increased production. Another factor with the management continually speed­ task” (to quote official Portuguese From Nyasaland another resistance shift, after they had completed what was that the holidays were due in a few ing up the line. [I’m not certain now, opinion). movement sent two men to attempt to they thought was the right number of weeks’ time. It was obvious that the but at one time workers known as During the Angolan revolution and break into an armoury.